Municipalities across Saskatchewan continue to monitor an “increase” in waste due to COVID-19.
The City of Moose Jaw said it’s already seeing see the impact with so many people self-isolating.
“We’re noticing an increase in waste collection just because of more people being at home. We don’t have the data, but we expect that’s what occurring,” said Jim Puffalt, Moose Jaw city manager.
“We want to get some data to prove the figures are there because right now it’s basically observations. We want to see the data to determine if it’s necessary.
The City of Saskatoon said there hasn’t been any major issues as of yet, but is keeping a close eye on it.
“With more people at home over the past two weeks we are not yet seeing an increase in garbage collection tonnage compared to what we historically see at this time of year,” the City of Saskatoon said in an email sent to Global News on Friday.
“We continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates as they become available.”
Loraas Disposal North LTD. deals with waste transfer and recycling services and says it hasn’t seen an increase in service to this point, but is ready to deal with it if or when it happens.
“Business as usual. We’re collecting waste from many places, not just Saskatoon. We got Warman, Martensville, basically north of Davidson is what we do,” said Alexa Mofazzali, Loraas digital media specialist.
“Waste needs to be collected in order for things to keep moving.”
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Mofazzali is reminding people to avoid leaving loose waste lying in or around the garbage bin, in order to limit human contact.
“Please be bagging those items and placing them into the waste bin. We really don’t want drivers to get out and touch any of those bags maybe lying around your garbage container,” Mofazzali said.
“Also, make sure you are placing your cart at least four feet away from other carts on your street.”
As for recycling items, Mofazzali said if any recyclables have come into contact with somebody who is sick from COVID-19, to throw them in the garbage.
“We have the appropriate PPE to protect our employees, but we want to reduce that amount of risk by making sure people aren’t putting any contaminated items into their recycling cart,” Mofazzali said.
“Everything you put in your blue recycling cart will come in contact with one of our human beings. It’s not just a machine that sorts these materials for us. We have wonderful employees who we want to keep safe and healthy.”
In Moose Jaw, Saskatoon and Regina many residents are currently dealing with a bi-weekly garbage pickup system.
While Moose Jaw moves to weekly pick-up June 1, Saskatoon moves to weekly pickup in mid-April. Regina moves to weekly pickup on Monday.
The City of Regina says it will proceed with that plan, noting in a press release that residents have expressed a need for “increased garbage capacity because so many people are working form home and children are out of school.”
Regina cancelled its upcoming household hazardous waste days scheduled for April 24 and 25, citing the pandemic in the press release. The city said its looking at additional disposal options and is asking residents to safely store dangerous materials until then.
— With files from Daniella Ponticelli
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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